


The Unenlightened

by brooklyndis



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Gen, Gender-Neutral My Unit | Byleth, Mystery, POV Alternating, Politics, Tragedy, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22096342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklyndis/pseuds/brooklyndis
Summary: Byleth is gone. They perished in the attack on Garreg Mach Monastery, leaving behind three countries to fight a vicious war. The Adrestrian Empire, commanded by Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg. She feels the burden of the aggressor, yet marches ever forward to her destiny. The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, ruled by Crown Prince Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. He is locked in the bitter conflict, struggling to keep both his followers and sanity in check. The Leicester Alliance, orchestrated by High Leader Claude von Riegan. He came with an air of mystery, and continues to be surrounded by it as the war presses on. These three countries are all headed towards a bitter conclusion, one that will show the very heart of Fodlan. Who will live and die, what is at stake, why are they fighting, all this will be revealed in due time. But the Enlightened One is not there to guide them.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	The Unenlightened

**Author's Note:**

> Edited by the lovely Dragonflare.

Raging fires. Crumbling foundations of brick and stone. Leonie knew this scene far too well for her own liking. With a quick spur in the side of her horse, she rushed by her squad, leaving their cries of protest in a cloud of dust. She wouldn’t let this be another Remire. Failure wasn't an option anymore, it hasn't been an option since the war started.

“Ma’am!”  
  
Leonie glanced behind her as one of the troops in her Company was increasing speed to match her brisk pace, his blond hair whipping back from the wind.

“What is it?” she responded with enough terseness to get the boy named Piers to spit it out. He didn’t look much older than she had been in the academy, with rounded cheeks and wide gray eyes loosely held together by his over-sized bronze helmet. 

“Well, we were ordered to stay as a unit. The Leader said that it’s possible our enemy has prepared to meet us and use Crest Stones to transform people into those… things.”

Leonie knew damn well of the horrors the Empire created, all for the machinations of war. How Edelgard had sunk so low she would never understand. But then again, wasn’t that usually how it went with the nobles? Playing their games, waging their wars, while the good people of Fodlan suffered in their arrogance and violence. Claude’s willingness to view his subjects as equals was perhaps what she admired most about him. 

“We’re approaching the village soon. I’m going to scout ahead, tell the rest of the squad to wait about fifty lengths from the border.”

“But ma’am, it could be dangerous! At least take a couple of us with you.”

Leonie wanted to scoff at the implications Piers was making of his officer. She’d been in far more precarious situations than a simple village raid. Still, the boy seemed eager to stay by her side, and it never _hurts_ to give the younger recruits firsthand experience.

“Alright, alright, you’ve convinced me. Get two more from the pack and join me, preferably some with talent in archery. We’re gonna want to be able to engage at distance.”

Piers seemed to glow a bit once she had given the go ahead, with nothing but a quick nod and a toothy smile as he slowed his pace down to the rest of the group. Goddess, what a difference five years made. She would have been the overeager rookie before the war, excited for the thrill of combat and helping her country. Now it’s just a grind.

The village they were investigating didn’t seem all that different from home to Leonie. Worn-down but familiar houses and shacks lined the dirt road, some cobblestones astray but safe enough for the civilians. In wartime however, this terrain could prove treacherous for the Blade Breakers. Somehow they’d stayed loyal to Leonie even across the war, for less gold too. Other Alliance soldiers would have been able to fill into her platoon, but Jeralt’s handpicked crew were some of the most gutsy and dedicated fighters she’d ever known. She instinctively reached back to caress her inherited shield another time. A sign of good luck, that he and the professor are watching over her. 

“Alright. Piers, you and your friends up with me. Rest of you, hold the horses at the edge of the village and be on the lookout for enemy reinforcements. Claude’s given us the specially marked arrows for signals, you know how to use 'em. We should only be ten or so minutes unless there is engagement.”

One of the High Leader's greatest accomplishments so far in his short yet illustrious career guiding Leicester was the way he revolutionized their battle tactics. Leonie had never been much of a book learner, but she’d always payed attention to military history and the evolution of combat. What Claude had schemed up so far was nothing short of extraordinary. The way he utilized aerial combat to bring support to their ground troops, his incredibly complex methods of communication, how he taught officers to lead from the front lines, everything about it was foreign to Leonie in a way she couldn’t understand. It was as if he’d learned from entirely different sources than the one she and the rest of the class had studied from. The arrows he gave to scouts were lined with magical fire spells that emitted colored smoke signals when shot, allowing for quick and efficient long range transmission between the soldiers. 

“We’re ready when you are ma’am.” 

She turned around to give a quick scan over the three mercs accompanying her, two men and a woman. Everett, a somewhat petite yet scrappy fighter, had his longbow slung over his back and a shortsword at his side. Leonie had come to enjoy whatever war paint was chosen for his clean-shaven face, a surprise each mission they embarked on. This time he had marked himself with a crescent moon design using crushed blood red pigments, a brilliant contrast to his forest green spiked hair and pale figure, travelling from his left eye to the bottom of his chin. He fancied himself something of an artist in another lifetime, but still managed to engage with his creative urges in bursts. While Piers had a longbow as well, he was also positively covered with knives, and Leonie had a hunch he’d run out many an armory with his insane requests. His jacket had many hidden compartments carrying hidden blades and other assorted tricks. At least it wasn’t all for show; he could hit a coin flipped in the air from ten yards away with remarkable consistency using a throwing knife. Ramsey brought up the rear, her long waves of black hair only outdone in size by her massive two-handed battle axe. A myriad of scars ran across her coffee colored skin, from horizontally on her nose all the way down her arms; the signs of a childhood spent training and working a farm rather than school. All in all, a pretty well rounded crew while still focusing on long range capabilities. She’d have to commend Piers for his decision making after the mission. 

“Everett, you’re gonna run point with me. I want your bow nocked and ready to fire in an instant, the Empire could still be present in the village. Piers, Ramsey, watch our backs. Stay outside of any structures so you have room to maneuver with your martials if necessary. We’re only going to go in about a hundred paces before turning back.” 

Going over the plan was more for Leonie’s own sake than her soldiers’, their instincts would undoubtedly kick in for any real combat scenario. As an officer, she needed to keep her emotions in check so that she could make rational decisions. Lives were at stake, a rule she was sadly reminded of every day. She couldn’t just run off and pick fights like in the academy days. Byleth wasn’t here to bail them out anymore. Byleth wasn’t here. She gave her head a quick shake. Not right now, there’s a mission at hand. 

She looked back one more time and raised her fist. Silently, they started walking into the village. The houses she and Everett had gone through were completely ransacked. Furniture lay asunder, drawers all emptied of anything valuable, and even the meager kitchens were cleaned dry. Thankfully, It seems like all of the villagers had managed to evacuate into the town hall near the center. Many of the villages surrounding Derdriu had similar layouts, including her hometown in Sauin. How could you take from people that held so little already? A momentary jolt ran through her body as Everett tapped her shoulder, bringing her back to her senses. Leonie scolded herself mentally for these kind of mental lapses, this was no time for idle musing.

“I’d say we go about three more roads in before turning back. We don’t want to get too close to the center and scare the townspeople,” he said while stroking his chin. 

He was right, even if they managed to communicate with the likely scared villagers, it could bring the raiders back on their position and lead to a massacre. She leaned back on a brick wall for a moment while developing the proper strategy.

“We’ll split into two groups at the perimeter. Half of us will go in through the main road on foot, the others will circle around the village on horseback to cut off their escape routes. We haven’t seen any signs of the enemy yet, they likely came from the same direction as us. That’d put them near the back.”

Everett gave her a nod and continued to the next house. It was more of the same, ruined items and torn apart wood. Leonie bent down to pick up a scrap of cloth that looked out of place. The garment was stitched with the image of a sky-blue lion surrounded by a darker shade of blue. Faerghus colors… why would Leicester villagers have these? As if to answer her question, the doors to one of the house burst open as a large man in Kingdom blues ran out brandishing a sword.

“Everett, duck!” She yelled while frantically reaching for her belt. In one fluid motion her hands clasped around the blade of the knife and sent it whistling through the air. Everett reacted just in time for the dagger to skim past the top of his helmet and sink into the throat of the oncoming soldier, blood bursting forth from his jugular vein. He clawed at his neck for a second before unceremoniously falling to the ground. 

“Well shit. What are Kingdom soldiers doing here? I thought we had a non-aggression pact for now!” Everett slammed his fist into a knocked over table in frustration as Piers and Ramsey came bursting into the room hearing the commotion. 

“You alright boss?” Ramsey asked while helping Everett to his feet. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. We have to stay wary and be on the lookout for more. This man must have gotten greedy and left his battalion behind. Heh, serves him right.” The dead soldier’s pockets were filled with all manners of jewelry and coin, now spilling out onto the dirt floor. Lot of use that money would be for him in the afterlife. 

“We’re gonna have to get back and tell leadership about this as soon as possible, Kingdom activity wasn't even on the shortlist for potential threats,” Piers remarked as they started disengaging back towards where the horses were parked. 

“I’m gonna send a messenger back in case things get worse here,” Leonie said while wiping the blood off her knife with a stray curtain. They were only a couple day's travel from Derdriu luckily, but that had grave implications on this attack. What on earth were Kingdom soldiers doing roaming so far away from Fhirdiad, or even Galatea territory? As they passed through the next clearing a bright red smoke signal appeared in the air with a rippling crack of sound, forcing Leonie to calm her nerves from the adrenaline of the prior scrap. 

“That’s full contact right where the rest of the troop was stationed, let’s be ready to provide support. Archers lay cover fire as soon as you enter range, Ramsey up front with me, let’s move!”

Leonie’s trio of legionnaires picked up their pace at her command. As they marched towards the incoming scrum, the shouting and clashing of metal quickly increased in volume before the first sight of fighting broke the horizon. Everett and Piers started trailing a bit while pulling arrows from their quivers, proceeding to rapidly launch suppressive fire towards the enemy’s back lines. Leonie twirled her spear into the proper handhold before charging at the first outfit dressed in blue she came across. The fur-clad raider was preoccupied with one of Leonie’s other mercs and faced the full brunt of her stab in his back. With a small gasp he dropped his shortsword and clawed at the hole in his chest cavity, before kneeling on the ground and falling face forward into the earth. Leonie had already moved to her next target before the first man had even finished breathing, a whirlwind of precision and speed. She wasn’t going to follow the legendary Blade Breaker without being a menace on the battlefield after all. To her left, Ramsey roared with pure might as she sent a woman crashing into a splintered fence with the broad side of her axe. The rest of the Blade Breakers seemed to be rallying around their captain, having overcome the shock of being taken off guard by the Faerghus raiding crew. They formed a semicircular formation around the horses, and started to hold the tide of aggressors with their shields and arrow fire. 

“Keep your ground!” Leonie bellowed in the company of her brothers and sisters. The lines of enemy soldiers slowly began to thin as more and more broke off into the receding woods, pegasi and wyvern flocks coming in to airdrop and rescue the marauding ground troops. 

“Should we chase after them boss?” Piers may have run out of arrows, but he was ready to use throw his assortment of knives with deadly precision, and Leonie would _not_ want to be the unfortunate soldiers retreating from him. She cleaned some of the blood splatters off of her face and spat. 

“Nah, we’ve done enough fighting for today. We’ve had minimal casualties, and it seems most of the villagers were able to make it to the shelter. Let’s not push our luck today. Get Ramsey and a few others to check on the village center, I’m gonna take count and make sure our wounded are tended to.” With a quick nod he jogged towards Ramsey, rounding up able-bodied mercs along the way. Leonie scouted the surrounding area for any surviving Faerghus soldiers. It didn’t take her long to find one lying in the dirt road, his hand clutching at the wound to his side. She slung her lance on her backside before kneeling down to the injured man’s level. 

“Alright, I’m giving you one chance to speak to me, and I want the truth. Why were you pillaging these innocent people? In _our_ territory no less? Who commanded you?” She could see both fear and thought in his eyes, silently calculating what his options were in the moment. 

“We were just following orders, I swear! Our supplies are running low for winter, and we were told to find more by any means necessary.” 

“Any means necessary? I guess that involves the destruction of innocent people's lives. We had a _pact_ with the Kingdom, and you just had to screw it all up didn’t you?” She paused to take a quick breath before letting her anger rush out with as much control as she could muster. 

“One more time. Who commanded you?”

“D-Dimitri! It was Prince Dimitri…” he choked out, as if the very words were suffocating him. Her former classmate. The kind soul who was always eager to help others. The war had changed everyone, but Dimitri had gotten the worst of it. She’d heard stories of his brutality in the battlefield, and the Alliance had been lucky enough to agree to a ceasefire with the Kingdom for the last two years. Or so they thought. As she looked towards the quivering mess of a man beneath her, Leonie’s hand flickered to her belt, resting over her knife just for a moment. How easy it would be to punish this coward for the harm he’d inflicted on others. But we aren’t like them. She walked over to the horses and found her steed, quickly mounting despite her aching body. 

“Everyone! Get the wounded and prisoners sorted, we’ve got a long couple of days ahead of us. Everett, take a couple soldiers and wait for Ramsey and the rest to come back. Once the village leadership has things back under control your small group should be able to catch up with us.” He nodded and selected whoever was nearby to start heading back into the destroyed town center. Leonie continued her post-battle assessment once he had finished.

“I want scouts on both flanks watching for any more signs of enemy activity, we can’t risk another engagement with our current resources. Keep the casualties in the center, I’ll be taking point, Piers watch the back.” Leonie paused for a moment, this wasn’t quite enough. She may have the combat training and tactical prowess, but being a leader requires more than just raw strength.

“You all performed admirably today. This village was spared from total destruction thanks to our actions. I’m sure the captain would have been proud of us… let’s had back to Derdriu now.” Her battalion sent back a reasonably hearty “Yes, Ma’am!” while beginning to pack up supplies, treat the injured, and take a count of who was still around. From her own quick estimates, at least eighty-five percent of them seemed to be standing on their own two legs. The Faerghus raiding crew had surprised them, but not inflicted much lasting damage. The few prisoners they had acquired were clearly unhappy with the circumstances, but not causing any trouble for the moment. Leonie wondered whether any Leicester citizens would be shown the same treatment if the situation was reversed. Nobody seemed to bother their captain as she delved into her own thoughts, quietly going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of her mind. After what seemed like minutes of silent contemplation, her horse was able to shake her out of the dreariness of war with a whimpering cry. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know boy. We’re heading out soon. Gotta be back in time for the council meeting after all.”

She gave a quick check around and everyone seemed to be ready to move out. A quick hand signal was thrust, and with that the Blade Breakers were heading out. A majority of the important players in Leicester politics were going to be gathering for the first time in many moons. Holst Goneril, the Lady of Daphnell, Margrave Edmund, and of course the High Leader himself all would be present. She wondered how her peers would react to Dimitri’s betrayal, especially Claude. The two had been somewhat close during their academy days, and this was once again Claude’s good will being scattered into the wind for Dimitri’s selfish, impulsive, and erratic desires. 

“He’s not gonna be happy to hear about this…” she muttered, the brisk winds of the Wyvern Moon drowning out her musings as they departed to the Aquatic Capital. 

* * *

Jeralt’s shield was feeling oddly heavy on her body this morning, as if it was digging into the sides of her back and not letting go. No matter how many times she rearranged the bronze metal it clung to her loosely covered skin with a chill. Her orange training shirt might not hold up, and she made a mental note to visit the tailor for some winter furs whenever there was a chance. Goddess, she wasn’t usually this stressed even coming back from a grueling mission. The journey from the border village had only taken about two day’s worth of travel; Faerghus’ wounded were being held in the embassy for further questioning, but no punishment was to be given until the upcoming meeting with Prince Dimitri and the rest of his entourage next moon. She’d like to give him a piece of her mind personally, but Leonie was no expert in politics. Words could be twisted and turned right back towards you, a veritable battlefield of cunning and treachery. Some of her classmates played the game very well, Claude certainly top among them, but Hilda was no slouch either. Her constant self-deprecation was a clever subterfuge of her real talents in manipulation, and she had managed to broker many deals between Alliance parties with competing agendas. Gah, this isn’t what she needed right now. No more mind games. What Leonie needed was to hit things, preferably very hard. A good bout at the training grounds really cleared her head when she was out of sorts.

It was the crack of dawn; unusual to find any of her former classmates already sparring, but a familiar array of grunts were filling the air as Ferdinand whipped his spear around with dexterity, his long mane following shortly after his arms. Each strike was precise, alternating between horizontal blows to the left and right, never breaking rhythm except for a quick forward jab after every eight swings. She was always impressed with how methodical he could be, never losing his calm even in the raging battlefield. Leonie was more of the fiery brawling type, prioritizing raw power rather than poise, but she had been making attempts to try and patch up some of her sloppier techniques. 

“Ah! Leonie, I see you’re here to exercise on this fine morning as well.” He somewhat awkwardly moves a few stray hairs out of his eyes, nearly getting his lance caught in the precious locks. Pfft, such a focus on etiquette even when they were just up for an early training session. She really didn’t understand noble culture, but at least Ferdie was one of the better ones. They’d been fighting bravely together for years now, and she knew the value of his loyalty and honesty. 

“Hey there Ferdinand, didn’t expect anyone to be up with me, good on ya!” She gave him a playful pat on the back before looking over to the crate of weapons. Swords, axes, hammers, bows, basically anything a girl could dream of, if she were a combat expert that is. Leonie decided some archery would be the best fix for her mood. Nothing like a few bullseyes to brighten her spirits. She grabbed one with a lower draw weight to ease the burden on her already aching muscles. The oak of the recurve was crudely polished, a couple splinters coming out here and there but at least none near the grip. She’d do some maintenance on the training grounds in the coming days before she deployed again, but right now it was just her and the bow. Breathe in, pull, release, breathe out. Repeat. She grimaced as the next couple arrows weren’t flying correctly, some even missing the second-most inner ring, far off from her usual consistent accuracy. Heh, not even a moving target either, she really has to work these kinks out. 

“Your rhythm seems off.” He chimed in from across the patch of grass where he had started throwing javelins at a wooden dummy. Well yeah, anyone could have pointed that out. Hell, this was poor shooting even for their academy days. She couldn’t help but notice the tidy grouping of spears all stuck in the chest of the dummy. The ever perfect Ferdinand in all his glory once again. 

“Working on it,” she grunted with an air of dissidence. She pulled back on her drawstring once more with a mighty heave, and this time her arrow sailed clean over the target. 

“Damn it!” The lioness nearly threw her bow down in frustration, but a gloved hand caught her mid-motion. 

“Easy there, friend!” Ferdie had snuck up behind her, unnoticed in the clamor of her anger.

“You’re all out of sorts! Let me give you some advice that always helps me when I’m in a rough spell.” 

“I don’t need your help, I’m just sore from the mission. I’ll shake it off eventually.” But Ferdinand wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“At least let me offer some counsel! Adrestrian concentration techniques, you can take them or leave them. I just request that you watch me for a second, OK?” Leonie gave a small snort to signal her discontent, but handed him the bow anyway, taking a few steps behind to sit down on a rotting tree stump. Ferdinand studied the bow in his hands for a moment before nocking an arrow. He turned around to give Leonie a wink at which she rolled her eyes in the most obvious manner possible. Finally he… tugged his bandana down to cover his eyes? What kind of moronic training technique was this? Now more intrigued than anything else, she watched with intense vigilance to see what would happen. He calmly aimed his bow towards the target (or at least where he thought it was), pulled back on the drawstring with a quick heave, and let it fly towards the woods, completely missing the bullseye or anywhere near it. Before she could get in a quick verbal jab to mock his fabled technique he had already shot another arrow, this one sailing wide to the left and sticking itself in a target two columns down the line. Surely this was just some kind of big joke to lift her mood up, Leonie thought. But no, he had nocked a third arrow and gone into his shooting form yet again; this time when he released the string it sailed at least five feet above the target, almost hitting a crow nesting in one of the neighboring trees. Only now did he take his makeshift blindfold off before reaching to grab another arrow. Alright, she’d had enough of this mockery of training. 

“You missed all three times, what the hell was that Ferdie?” 

He gave her yet another damn wink, putting a finger to his lips and telling her to be quiet. His sunset orange eyes sharpened in focus and this time she could tell something about his demeanor was different. When he lined up his shot, he released without moving a single muscle but his fingers and the bolt whistled through the air with blistering speed right on its path. Bullseye. She didn't even have a second to wonder what was happening as Ferdinand continued firing in the same cycle of motion. But this time, instead of missing, he was clustering every arrow around the center of his target. In less than a minute his quiver was empty and a neat circlet of shafts was visible smack in the middle of the inner rings.

“I told you to watch me, didn’t I?” His smirk was less condescending than knowing, truly wanting to help his companion out of her rut. Leonie decided not to give him anymore sass and walked up to the clearing preceding the targets.

“How in the Goddess did you manage that? It’s like you were two completely different men!” He handed her back the bow and started to retrieve the fired arrows.

“Not two men… two parts of one man. Your touch must be linked with your sight. An old Empire fable taught us to be complete soldiers, in tune with all our senses. By removing one, you can combine them more easily. It’s just a matter of focus. Or that’s what my father said anyway.”

He turned away before she could read his countenance, perhaps afraid of whether or not she would push him any further into his painful memories. Leonie ran away from hers all the same, she doubted there was a single person in their class without regrets. Ferdinand… really interested her though. How one with all the wealth and power would walk away from it to join them was truly a baffling thought. Maybe he needed this conversation right now. Maybe she was just too curious for her own good. 

“Did your father teach about the importance of all these old sayings and parables?” she asked while adjusting the shield on her back.

“He did.” The terseness was rising out of Ferdinand’s voice involuntarily. 

“It seems you care a lot about some of your old traditions and upbringing, and yet you came to Leicester, as far away from your home and culture as you possibly could be on Fodlan,” she said. There was a distance in the glint of his eyes that was always present, and now she could see it even more clearly. He slowly walked back towards her after retrieving his arrows and restocking the quiver. 

“Don’t you get it? I’m not a cog of the Empire anymore. Everything I had was taken away from me, my family name ruined, my father put to death, all for a war I had nothing to do with. This is the _only_ choice I had. I don’t think it is wrong of me to respect the past while embracing the future. Do you?” She didn’t back down to his quiet fury, responding with her own.

“I only wanted to see what I could do to help you embrace your new community. There’s only so much we can see without acting on it, Ferdie! I know how hard it must have been for you and the other Eagles to turn your back on what was your home for life. All I want is for you to not feel chained to your past. None of us care where you came from, only that you’re here with us now.” They were so close to each other that she could hear each of his breaths in full, but he cleared his throat and backed off, sitting down in the dirt. 

“I… apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me. Goddess knows these are troubling times. I truly am joyful to be here in Leicester, with you and the rest of our classmates, Leonie. We’re fighting for a better world. The right world. That is all I have left to do in this life.”

“I’m sorry too, pushing you like that was uncalled for. But that can’t be everything, can it? The Aegir name can surely be restored to its past glory.” Doubtful, she thought to herself, but the idea was hopefully worth something to him. His response was surprising to her, but perhaps she should have seen it coming a long time ago.  
  
“Edelgard has orchestrated many despicable acts, but she was right about the nobility. Their toxic culture has caused suffering for people like you and your village all around Fodlan! I was a fool not to see it earlier, I only wish that I could have convinced her not to abandon her humanity.” He spat the last words out, and Leonie felt the disdain he had for his former house leader in full display. She put a hand on his pauldron and clasped it with a firm yet tender grasp, kneeling down next to him in the grass.

“It’s not your fault. All that matters right now is you’re with us, and we’re the good guys. You made the right choice Ferdie, Hell, you even saved some of your friends. We can’t let the past define us. That’s not what the Prof-” She choked on her words for a moment, hoping to the Goddess that he hadn’t noticed. “What they would want. All we can do is keep marching, fighting for those who can’t fight. That’s what Claude, what I, what _all_ of us want. A world where the strong don’t prey on the weak. Isn’t that enough?” Her face was covered in a nervous sweat, but before she could wipe it away he had handed her his bandanna. 

“Thank you, Leonie. I came over with the intention of helping you, but it seems you were the one who needed to help me, how embarrassing!” He laughed softly, giving her a playful tap on the shoulder before getting up to head back over to the weapon racks. She smirked and looked at the crimson red and midnight black cross stitch of an eagle in her hand. Leonie wasn't the best with feelings, but now it was time to lighten the mood back up. 

“Aww, thank you for giving me your bandanna as a gift! Hilda was always saying I needed to cash in more favors anyway,” she called while sticking her tongue out.

“Wha- you scoundrel! I won’t let you get away this!” he cried out while reaching into the war chest, pulling out two identical weapons. Leonie got back on her feet and marched towards him in an exaggerated fighting stance.

“I _suppose_ you’ll have to fight me for it! Does that sound fair, Aegir?”

“That’s enough talk, Pinelli… let’s duel!” It was her turn to laugh as she caught the training sword in her right hand. 

Wood on wood never created as satisfying of an atmosphere as metal weaponry clashing did, but for this morning it was enough. Finally, she fell into a familiar rhythm of combat as the stress began to melt away from her weary body. They sparred for another minute or so, evenly matched from start to finish. Her powerful slashes forced him into quick defensive maneuvers as he successfully kept parrying her onslaught. Neither officer landed a blow on the other, before their duel was interrupted by a familiar presence. 

“Is the bumblebee bothering our poor comrade now?” Leonie would recognize that dulcet tone from a mile away, and was unsurprised to see Dorothea ambling towards them slowly, careful to lift her dress over the branches and overgrowth of the forest. Ferdinand chuckled before responding with his own bit of theatrics.

“Ah, Miss Arnault! I see you’ve come to whisk me away from my friendly competition with Miss Pinelli here. You’ll have to find some honey elsewhere I’m afraid… only a stinger awaits you if you come a step closer!” He brandished his sword and aimed it straight to her chest, with a smile wider than life. She giggled and summoned a bit of fire energy between the tips of her fingers, before snapping it away. Ferdinand didn’t notice the magical sensation until smoke was billowing from the hilt of his training sword, cursing and dropping the burning wood before it reached his precious training clothes. 

“Not funny, Thea! My gloves could have been toast!” he exclaimed while stamping out the dying flames with his boots. 

“Oh I disagree Ferdie, that would have been even more of a riot.” Leonie joined her in having a laugh at his expense, before they all finally calmed down and Dorothea got to business while they took seats around a table next to the training grounds. 

“I’m on my way to another one of the villages, as you know the raiding parties have been more bold in recent moons. A bit of magic really expedites the rebuilding. For right now though, I just need to steal Ferdinand here away for a bit. He’s gonna be the only Black Eagle present at the Council meeting with Petra gone and myself leaving, and we do have some unique insights to offer.” 

“It wouldn’t be Sauin that you’re headed towards, would it?” Leonie asked her. She hadn’t been home since last year, there was just too much to do and too little time to do it. 

“Sadly no,” Dorothea responded. “I’m going south closer to Gloucester territory. They are under a lot of pressure due to House Gloucester’s… imperial ties.” The songstress seemed like she wanted to speak much more harshly, but continued on anyway. “It doesn’t seem that Count Gloucester or Lorenz have been paying much attention to their commoners, so we’re also escorting a supply train and restocking any villages whose stores are running low. It shouldn’t take more than two weeks.”

Lorenz. Leonie hadn’t seen him since he’d snuck off in the middle of the night with not even a goodbye to the rest of the Golden Deer, only a well written yet impersonal note telling them he was regretfully moving to the Empire under his family’s wishes. All their time together as schoolmates and countrymen, wrapped up into one small message. Yet he wasn’t the only one to turn his back on their community. She’d heard rumors of Felix abandoning his childhood friends in Faerghus, Marianne had not been seen by anyone in Leicester since they left Garreg Mach, Lysithea had gone on a quest for knowledge that only Claude was privy to. This war tore the students of Garreg Mach apart from their communities as they looked for any purpose in the absence of the one who really brought them together. Byleth would have known how to bridge the gap, they _must_ have. But now all Leonie could do was pick a side and hoped she’d chosen correctly.

“Leonie! You still with us?” Ferdinand waved his hand in front of her dazed eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Just lost in my own thoughts a bit. I should be heading out soon anyway, I have to get the paperwork from my last mission ready for briefing, and you all know how much I hate paperwork.” She rose from where they were sitting in the field and tied Ferdinand’s bandanna back around his curly locks before she forgot.  
  
“ _You_ I will see later today, but good luck Dorothea. Hope everything goes off without a hitch,” she said while starting to walk away from them.

“Oh I’m sure we’ll be just peachy, don’t worry your pretty little head,” she responded while miming a blown kiss to her friend from the Golden Deer.

Leonie blushed a bit from the compliment but quickly shook it off as she gave a two-fingered salute and headed off. She walked away from the forest back towards the island where her troop was stationed, and the majestic sights of the Aquatic Capital began to fill the horizon. Derdriu was an architectural marvel, and Leonie didn’t know if she would ever get used to it. The floating bridges, entire neighborhoods built on top of the ocean that connected the surrounding forests with the deep blue sea, it was a patchwork composed of various types of land, and in a way she found it a microcosm of the Leicester Alliance. These were people from all different communities working together to create something bigger than the sum of its parts. The Blade Breakers were happy to live in the decadence of Derdriu and use it as a homebase of operations. They came from all over the world. Almyra, Sreng, Brigid, some even hailed from the distant isles of Morfis, but most had been born into poverty. Without the privilege to an education like Leonie had, being a mercenary was the most appealing and rewarding lifestyle to anyone who could fight with competence. She was beyond blessed to feel included in their family after the captain had been killed, and part of her sense of duty was owed to what they had taught her. Many of their missions were focused on the war effort as House Riegan was paying them a hefty sum to perform military operations under the Leicester banner, and Leonie had gained experience commanding them before being given more work commanding sections of the Leicester forces themselves. Still, every so often she would request assignments with her friends just for old time’s sake. It was boring to have to manage the bureaucracy of running a mercenary company without the excitement of battle and camaraderie to go with it. Now though, was just a quick visit to grab the mission report from Piers and start preparing for the Council meeting. By the Goddess she hoped to have the fortitude to sit through hours of dry politics before the eventual five minutes where she’d be called upon to give her statement. Perhaps a drink could take the edge off her anxiety…

* * *

“Three! Two! One! GOOOOOO!” Ramsey hollered at the top of her lungs, and within an instant Leonie and Piers were smashing their mugs down. Goddess, what on Fodlan were they putting in this ale? The frothy, bitter liquid ran down her throat, a small stream dribbling down her chin as she chugged as fast as her mouth would let her. It wasn’t often Leonie got to indulge in some of her less, ah, savory hobbies, what with the responsibility and massive war, but the Blade Breakers knew how to unwind in any situation. A nice bonus was there wasn't the risk of being noticed by any Leicester higher-ups in their private tents. Drinking and gambling, two of Leonie’s favorite vices, could be neatly packaged together when the situation called for it. This time she had made a wager with Piers, a week’s usage of her best spear versus her pick of one his of knives. C’mon, faster, faster, faster, as she tilted her head all the way back to get the beer pouring even more quickly. The troop had formed a circle around them as they bet on who would win and hooted in support, a decent few had elected to put money or valuables on Piers, but she grew up with parents that let her partake with them since she was thirteen. After a little under a minute, she finally saw the wooden bottom of her mug, slamming it down on the table and pumping her fist, a little wobbly but nonetheless victorious. Piers’ icy grey eyes were bloodshot in defeat, but his rosy cheeks and smile let her know it wasn’t all that serious. He made a big show of unbuttoning his coat and displayed some knives to her as if he was a merchant. 

“Any of them you want, captain! But I _better_ get it back!” Leonie scoffed and whipped her disheveled ponytail away from her eyes, getting a better look at some of the potential prizes she had just won. Her gaze immediately fell to a smaller than average knife with a shimmering obsidian handle and a razor sharp heel. She gingerly picked it off his coat and weighed it in her palm for a moment, feeling the noticeably heavier handle. As she searched for a target in the tent, she saw some bounty posters, one of which had a crudely drawn sketch of the Death Knight. With one movement Leonie flipped the knife so she was pinching the blade between her middle finger and thumb, rotated her shoulder back, and then quickly whipped her arm forward while releasing the dagger. It stuck into the drawing’s left eye with a thwack, and Leonie only hoped her aim would be this good the next time she came face to face with that murderous psychopath.

“I think I’ll take that one,” she told Piers while getting up to retrieve it. As she yanked it back out of the poster, a distant bell tolled. One, two, three, four times it resounded through Derdriu before it finally hit her. _The council meeting._

“Fuck! I have the meeting in fifteen minutes!” In a panic she frantically tried to get herself together, clasping the buckles on her jacket with haste. As she tried to kneel down to lace up her boots, she nearly tripped heads over heels with the sudden rush of blood to her face. It seemed the alcohol was finally rearing its ugly head. Ramsey helped her get off the floor and used her large frame as support for Leonie, who was just praying to the Goddess that she wasn’t going to be sick.

“It’s alright boss, just head out right now, you’ll make it in time and we already got the paperwork sorted.” She motioned at Piers to go grab it, and despite his own intoxication he nodded and lurched towards the exit of their tent to find the communications office which held all the important documents and ledgers for the Company.

“Look at me I’m a mess! There’s ale on my undershirt and my hair is going every direction imaginable.” Another woman in the troop got up from where she was sitting while undoing her cloak. Leonie vaguely recognized her, Goddess, what was her name, Arella? In any case the woman walked up to Leonie and started draping the garment across her shoulders, deftly wrapping it around her waist to give her a more sophisticated than usual look. The teal green of the cloak seemed to match well with Leonie’s usual oranges and mottled browns, but she had never been one for high fashion, Hilda would have to deliver the final verdict at the meeting. At the very least it covered most of the careless stains from her moronic competition with Piers. Before she could get a word in the woman was also taking off her own bandanna and fixing Leonie’s hair into something at least half way presentable. She had spiked part of her bangs from over the top of the bandanna, and then parted her ponytail, also forming two long lengths on either side of her face. She paused for a second to admire her handiwork, and then finally handed Leonie a small pouch of what looked to be medicinal herbs. 

“This will hide some of the evidence as long as you can keep your words together. Grind these into some water and you should sober up pretty quickly, but be warned they don’t taste great.”

“Thank you…” Leonie trailed off as she just could not recall her savior’s name. Abilee?

“Agatha. Don’t worry about it Captain, do us proud against the establishment, alright?” 

“That,” Leonie said while filling her mug, this time with water, “Is what I’ll be hoping for. Us commoners gotta stick together right?”

“You get it.” Agatha smiled, looking on while Leonie was using the pommel of a spare shortsword to grind up the plants into a powder for her concoction.

“Where’d you get this stuff? Doesn’t look like any plant I’ve seen before.”

“They’re not from Fodlan, I get a lot of natural medicine imported through Almyra.”

“Through the Throat? That must cost a hell of a lot, you holding out some secret wealth from the rest of us or somethin’?”

“Oh, I have connections.” There was definitely more to this story than Agatha was telling, but Leonie did not want to squander the good will being given to her. It seemed her mixture was ready, most pieces of the herbs having dissolved into the water which was now taking a murky dark green hue.

“Well, bottom’s up!” Leonie took a large swig, and it was possibly the most bitter thing she’d ever tasted. The seemingly monstrous ale Piers had found did not even come close to comparing. She nearly choked on her first taste, coughing up a small bit of it, but managing to hold the rest of it down.

“Goddess, you really, _really_ weren’t kidding about the taste.” The buzz of alcohol suddenly flared as she reached to her aching head, but it quickly faded and she felt a wave of relief wash through her body. 

“The intoxication should be mostly gone in about thirty minutes, hopefully you can hold out ‘till then.” 

“Thanks again Agatha, you really saved my ass here. Let me know what I can do to repay you sometime.”

“If your wit is about you in the Council meeting, that’s more than enough reward for me already. I’ll leave you to it then.” And with that she walked back into the recreations tent, leaving Leonie to go track down Piers and then run as quickly as her recovering body would take her to the palace. She took one more look at herself in the hand mirror she was given, and was astonished how striking a couple differences to her usual style, before nearly bumping headfirst into a sprinting Piers, out of breath and clutching a couple written documents in his hand. 

“The…” he paused to catch his breath for a quick second before practically shoving them into her grasp. 

“The reports, ma’am. I’m terribly sorry that our bet got in the way of actual business.” He bowed in a sign of respect, but Leonie playfully flicked his forehead and motioned for him to stand straight.

“Not your fault, Piers, I’m my own woman and it was my carelessness that lost track of time. You’re a great soldier, and being my friend is just as important as your duty. I’ve gotta run now, but there’ll be plenty of times for our job. Keep the light-hearted moments important, will ya?” She smiled at him and started jogging away before he could respond, straight towards where the meeting was being held with mission reports in hand.

* * *

She had just made it just in time to catch her breath with a quick moment of respite, leaning against one of the marble pillars that supported the large assembly room. Before she could collect herself, yet another friend was reaching out to her. Leonie internally groaned but nevertheless put on the most welcoming face she could. 

“Yoohoo, Leonie!” Hilda called to her in a singsong voice from across the lavishly decorated hall.

“Love the new look, where’d you pick up these fabrics? I positively _adore_ the contrast.”

“Thanks, Hilda. I dunno, trying something different today? Might as well look presentable around all the dignitaries I guess.”

“Well, you honestly should keep it up. And here I thought all you cared about was fighting and drinking!” Leonie’s head throbbed at the mere mention of alcohol, but whatever Agatha had put in her body seemed to be curtailing most of the adverse effects. 

“I’ll do my best. Say, is Claude here yet?”

“Our _High Leader_ ,” making quotation marks in the air with her hands, “is already talking to Margrave Edmund. Between you and me, he’ll catch the wrong end of Freikugel if he ever asks me to call him that.”

“That makes both of us then,” Leonie said with a chuckle. “I’m gonna take a seat and do a quick readthrough of my statements, see you when it starts.”

“Alright!” Hilda waltzed away to converse the next person she recognized, and Leonie found a place near the far end of the rectangular oak table. The grandeur of it all still came as a shock; she never imagined that someone with her humble upbringings would preside in such a distinguished gathering. As she deftly thumbed across the parchment, everything seemed to be accounted for. She stopped at the section categorized under Losses.

**Casualties** : Seven, two dead, five wounded.

**Supplies** : Two signal arrows, four horses, one wagon, various weapons sent to armory for repair

**Expenses** : _2000g_ given to Ecrin Village for rebuilding efforts, both for materials and hiring of magical reinforcement. _500g_ expended at armories, _250g_ for food and drink, and _35g_ for upkeep of P.O.W.s in transit, totalling _2785g_ of the allotted _3200g_ given for expenditures. Surplus distributed between officers, living casualties, and families of non-living casualties as directed by Blade Breaker Company rules. 

She’d have to check the Company logbook for who had been slain in the attack. Even for the best in the business, being a mercenary was an inherently risky lifestyle; the least Leonie could do was to remember those who passed. Various military heads, government officials, and scribes were taking their places around the table as she pored through the rest of her documents. The dizziness of her booze-addled brain had dulled to a mere pulse, and she thanked the Goddess for Agatha's miracle treatment. As she reached the end of her report, the air in the room stiffened noticeably when one person came inside. Claude. As he slowly ambled to his seat at the front of the table while talking in a low voice with Margrave Edmund, she noticed how similar his headband was to hers. Embroidered with the same interlocking diamonds, his was woven with the Leicester colors of black and gold rather than Agatha’s teal and green. His eyes locked with hers for a brief moment, and she could just catch the hidden intrigue in his gaze before he moved back to his conversation with the Margrave. Leonie wondered whether there was something more important to this trivial detail, but before she had any real time to dwell on it Claude had walked past her and taken his seat. As he raised his hand to commence the meeting, he almost looked bored, but she knew how calculating he was behind his many facades. 

“Alright, let’s begin. Eighth of the Wyvern Moon, 1185, War Council meeting. Present include: Lady Judith von Daphnel, Margrave Edmund, General Holst Goneril..." 

He continued listing names Leonie did not recognize from the group of around thirty people, before nearing those she did at the end of the role call. The High Leader's classmates from Garreg Mach may not have quite the accolades of some of their counterparts in the meeting, but she knew what trust was being put into them, and nobody dared to question Claude's judgement as he propelled them through a war they should have already lost. 

"... Immortal Corps Major Hilda Goneril, Cavalry Officer Ferdinand von Aegir, Lieutenant Scout Ignatz Victor, and Leonie Pinelli of the Blade Breaker Company."

Noticeably absent were Dorothea, on her rebuilding efforts across the South of Leicester, as well as Raphael and Petra, who were performing reconnaissance in Empire territory. She laughed at the idea of Raphael pulling off the subtlety required for keeping a low profile, but he was a well-disciplined soldier despite his boisterous personality, and Petra was there to reign him in with her clinical and diligent work. Claude had paused for the moment to give the scribe a chance to mark down the attendance, before heading the first of many notions.

"Our first article, allocation of ground forces across both the Almyran and Imperial borders. General Holst, can you give us an assessment of how the Throat is faring?"

Hilda's brother gave a curt nod and started looking through his documents. He had the same pink hair as hers, but none of the penchant for fashion other than a singular golden necklace with a small ruby sparkling in the centerpiece. She had an inkling that it was a gift from his younger sister, and knew that any prejudices he held against flamboyance were less important than showing love to his sibling.

"Almyran activity seems to have slowed down in the last six moons, we're expending around twenty percent less of our resources and as such have deployed three hundred troops in other areas of the country. No signs of any known Almyran Generals in the last three moons either, perhaps they are regrouping for later efforts, or waiting out the result of Fodlan's war. "

Claude pondered over this information for just a second before making a choice, bold and decisive as ever.

"We're going to need more troops stationed at the bridge of Myyrdin to protect the border, especially with the attack on Gronder looming. Do you think you can spare any more soldiers, Holst?" 

"I don't know if it's a great idea to leave us even weaker at the Throat, we're already stretched thin as it is."

"While I get that, Gronder is the midgame. In order to make any significant progress versus the Empire it's a necessary risk to go on the offensive while we still have the goodwill of Faerghus." Leonie bristled at that remark but did not speak out of turn, Goddess knows she would be crucified by the more experienced nobles who weren't as accommodating as people like Claude and Judith. "I'm willing to bet that we can count on Almyra biding their time for the moment. Expediting our preparations for the attack will allow us to minimize the losses when we march," the High Leader said, continuing his assessment of the current political landscape. 

"When are we scheduled to move out, boy?" Lady Daphnel interjected with her famous disregard for etiquette. Still, if it bothered Claude he had certainly hidden it well.

"First of the Lone Moon. I would personally have wanted to wait another moon or two, but Dimitri is growing restless. I think we would be all the wiser to not push our limits with his unpredictability." That was one statement Leonie could definitely agree with. "Thus you can see why I want to have more bodies already settled through the winter. If we can transport them from the Throat and Kupala _now_ , it will both cost less, and be more efficient." Holst still seemed uneasy with the idea of lowering manpower even further, but decided to trust in the Riegan heir once more.

"Use your best judgement, High Leader. I can order a couple hundred more soldiers from my area, and Kupala should have around five hundred available. Would this suffice?" 

Claude moved a couple pieces on the game board that was placed in front of his chair- well, more like a throne with how decadent it was. His eyes narrowed in focus for a few seconds before he looked back up to the council.

"Yes, that will be perfect, thank you for your continued support of the effort. Unless there are further questions, we shall move to the second movement." A small murmur of consent and nodding washed through each noble, except for one.

"Are you sure this is the best idea, Claude?" Hilda spoke clearly and with power, no tremble in her voice to be found. Holst, sitting next to her, started whispering something in her ear but she immediately waved him off. 

"If we leave the Throat unprotected it will be possible for air forces to completely bypass the defenses and start raiding nearby villages, or worse, they may even start looking to occupy forts in Kupala, Riegan, and Edmund territory." Claude did not seem as taken aback as General Holst was to the younger Goneril's dissent, and instead started moving more tokens on his board.

"While this would be weakening you in terms of numbers, I believe there is a fix available. We've been developing several new ballista prototypes here in Derdriu, and once those are finished we can have independent mercenaries and engineers deploy to install them by the end of the Red Wolf Moon. This should dissuade any air-based attacks long enough for the Goneril and Kupala soldiers to return." Hilda nodded and started writing something down before passing it to Holst and signalling her consent to proceed with the next motion. Leonie was once again impressed by her political acuity, simultaneously protecting her own territory while looking out for those who would be most at risk should Claude's gamble not pay off. She still wouldn't take a compliment after the meeting though, _that_ much Leonie knew. 

"Second article, training of new recruits in aerial and naval battalions..."

* * *

The leader of the Blade Breaker Company stifled a yawn as she watched Ignatz across from her taking diligent notes with his quill, his glasses gleaming in the sunlight and hiding his sepia eyes. She wished she had anything of his resolve to stay invested in the petty squabbles of high-ranking nobles. She wished she had more than just his resolve inside her too, but this was really not the time to let her mind drift there of all places. Goddess, what movement were they on currently. The seventh? Ninth? She had lost count of the motions while the leaders of two minor dukedoms residing in Ordelia land were arguing with each other over who should be better protected from Adrestrian attacks. An exasperated Claude's attempts to reconcile the feud between their two Houses, which even Leonie knew went far beyond the confines of the war and this council meeting, were drowned out. Competition in the trade market seemed to be very low on the priority of this meeting, but nevertheless many of her classmates had told her these kind of conversations were necessary evils in order to promote cooperation through the Alliance. Leonie was just a bit startled when Claude's smooth voice rang out through the stuffy air, as if to jolt everyone back.

"Now that we've settled Ordelia _economics_ ," his emphasis on the last word showcasing his discontent with the prior conversation, "we can move on. Twelfth and penultimate article, post-contact assessment from clash with Kingdom forces." It seemed some present were unaware of the transgressions that had occurred at Ecrin Village, given the shocked looks scattered through the chamber. "Captain Pinelli, I believe you are ready to brief us?" 

"Yes, sir." He smiled and raised an eyebrow at the honorific, but opened his palm and beckoned for her to continue. 

"While performing routine patrols, the Blade Breakers and myself were made aware of a raid by our scouts. When we arrived, Ecrin was not totally destroyed, but a large number of the houses were burning, as well as roads and fences torn up with what I believe to be wind and thunder magic. I unfortunately did not see this at the time, but I assume the forces who charged us around the perimeter were only meant to delay us from reaching the larger number of soldiers that carried away many of the town's valuables."

Margrave Edmund sagely nodded at this information, before offering a small word of encouragement.

"You made the correct decision not to pursue them, Miss Pinelli. Saving the lives of those in Ecrin and delivering us hostages from the Kingdom is more than enough to gain from your encounter." She gave him a quick thank you, before continuing with her report. 

"I haven't spoken with the prisoners since they were transported to the cells, but the one I talked to said the orders to raid had come from Dimitri himself." Claude still was unfazed by even this information. Had he already known, or was he really this kept together at all times? A military officer she didn't recognize corroborated her story by revealing that multiple Kingdom soldiers were telling the same story during interrogations. The conversation quickly became more and more unruly as multiple people spoke out of turn. 

"We must call off the non-aggression pact and respond! Leicester being trampled on won't be tolerated."

"What? That's madness! We'll never win fighting on two fronts!"

"It's a matter of _honor_. Those Faerghus bastards clearly have none of it!"

Before the room could erupt into full blown chaos, Claude slammed one of his iron chess pieces into the table with a resounding thud. 

"Everyone, I understand your concern. I am personally meeting with King Dimitri and his advisors on the Third of the Ethereal, less than two moons from now. We are _not_ to make a rash decision with limited information." Leonie worried whether this was the correct, and decided to use her platform while it was granted to her.

"This seems very dangerous, Claude! All the reports about Dimitri are showing him to be unhinged and erratic, and what happened at Ecrin just proves that point." She had unconsciously stood up from her seat, and all eyes in the room were trained right at her. 

"I can take care of myself, Leonie, you know that more than most. Besides, thanks to your efforts on the battlefield we have valuable hostages, granting us more leverage than before." Praising her in front of the crowd to look unbiased while arguing against her at the same time. Damn, was he good. She quickly sat back down before she made herself more of a fool than the others must already think of her.

"No further comments, High Leader." She tried to hide the animosity but a little bit of it slipped into her words involuntarily. All she wanted was to protect her friend, why couldn't he see that? 

"Without a doubt, tensions with the Kingdom will be closely monitored through the coming weeks, but if we are to stand a chance versus the Empire it is absolutely mandatory we continue to work with them. With that we shall move to the thirteenth and final article, non-Leicester based intelligence. Officer Aegir, the floor is yours."

Ferdinand cleared his throat before beginning his piece. 

"Remnants of Adrestrian citizens who disapprove of the current Emperor's regime still exist, and we have been tasked with both helping them as refugees and converting those willing into spies. As a part of this effort Petra Macneary, Princess of Brigid, is currently leading a small band of Leicester guerrilla troops in what was formerly Aegir territory, performing hidden intelligence work with some of the cooperating locals. What they've found unfortunately may be troubling. It seems the von Aegir estate has been transformed into a laboratory for twisted experiments, and the citizens report many signs of Crest stone creatures rampaging throughout nearby plains and villages before they are, well, domesticated." Claude had reached into his bag of tricks to pull out even more tokens, presumably to represent the increased power level of Adrestria.

"Petra also has informed us that her grandfather will be sending both additional soldiers and raw materials via the ocean. It will take two to three moons before they arrive since they are required to stop at a port in Morfis to restock, but that is still close enough to be of use before we march towards Gronder."

"Our alliance with Brigid is proving fruitful it seems," Countess Ordelia commented while sipping from her glass of wine. "Is the Princess going to inherit the country soon?" Ferdinand didn't quite seem to get the point of her inquiry at first, staring blanking for a second before it came to him.

"Ah yes, Petra's grandfather remains in good health, but with his old age a sudden passing would not be entirely out of the realm of possiblity. Have no doubts that she will continue to work with us should she inherit the rule earlier than expected. She was instrumental in convincing her grandfather to declare themselves independent from the Empire. That aside, her battalion should be returning by next moon. I would implore everyone to continue thinking about possible countermeasures to those vile beasts that Edelgard's scientists keep producing. I have my suspicions her chief advisor, Hubert von Vestra, has something to do with them, but I can't prove this quite yet."

The Crest monsters were truly abominations, and it took ten well trained soldiers to take down even a small one with normal weaponry. Luckily those with Hero's Relics and Sacred weapons could make much easier work of them. Byleth had paved the way with their Sword of the Creator, and now Claude, Hilda, and Ferdinand carried that legacy forward with their own unique weapons. Leonie wished there was more she could do, but without a crest this was just how the world worked. With a slight bow, Ferdinand looked to Claude and signaled that he was finished. Claude in turn rose from his place, starting to pack up his game board and pieces into a small rectangular box.

"Thank you all for your diligence, Leicester is better off for it. It may be some time before we are all together like this again. I wish you all luck in both your preparations for the offensive, and your personal endeavors. Meeting adjourned." He stared at Lady Judith during the latter part of his, and she sent him back a knowing smirk before quickly walking out of the chamber. Leonie wanted to get some alone time with Claude if she could, but the swarm of nobles hoping to bend his ear for this or that was unrelenting. He quickly mouthed a single word to her, _later_ , before following Margrave Edmund up the staircase of one of the towers. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but better than nothing. He was so busy that she rarely got to spend time with him anymore, for recreational purposes or otherwise. She saw Ignatz chatting with Ferdinand and Hilda in the far corner, and he cheerily waved at her to join them. 

"Leonie! You look stunning, the green and teal create a wonderful palette with your typical orange."

Ugh, such artistry even with his words. Leonie wasn't supposed to care about shit like this, yet when Ignatz was the one saying it, it seemed to matter. They'd kept their flings a secret from everyone, yet it was like he tried to reveal it with how careless his praise of her was. It took most of her concentration to avoid blushing, and she ended up stumbling upon her words soon after.

"Y-yeah, Hilda said the same thing pretty much! How are y'all doing anyway?"

Hilda was quick to chime in and break past what would soon have surely become an awkward exchange. 

"Man, they really don't give us a break with all this politicking do they?"

Ferdinand gave a small chuckle and wiped his brow of imaginary perspiration. "As a _noble,_ it is our duty... I'm sorry, I can't even keep going with this joke." That got a laugh out of everyone before the bell tower interrupted them, this time striking for seven beats. "Would you all like to join me in the dining hall? I could certainly use the company."

"Well, I don't have much else to do tonight. If you promise to get me extra dessert, I'm in!" 

"I think we can arrange that. Ignatz, Leonie, how about you two?"

Ignatz looked up expectantly at Leonie, and Goddess did she not want to disappoint him, but there would be other times for bonding. Right now it was imperative that she gave von Riegan a piece of her mind. 

"'Fraid I'll have to pass this time around, a little more business left for the day on my end. You guys have some fun, I'll make it to the next one!" 

"More pie for me! Bye Leonie," Hilda said nonchalantly as she started walking away, dragging her unlucky victim in Ferdinand with her. Ignatz was twiddling his fingers and staring at his boots while saying farewell.

"Well, I guess I should go follow them. I'll see you around?" 

"Ignatz."

"Wh-" 

Before he could even finish his first word, she had already grabbed him by the hand, simultaneously trying to locate a place with just a bit more privacy. There didn't seem to be anywhere in the sparse corridor, but most people she recognized had vacated the premises already, the odd maid or butler still scurrying around the palace. Ah, fuck it. She pulled him into a brief but passionate kiss, tasting the mint he liked to chew right on his lips. He was a bit startled, but smiling at the end, and returned the favor with a peck on her cheek.

"Thank you, for being there for me. I really do have some important stuff to talk to Claude about, so... I'll see you around. I promise."

"Yeah, you too. I've got a great new sketch to show you, but I'll save it for later. Farewell!" And with that he almost sprinted away to catch up with Hilda and Ferdinand, leaving Leonie with nothing to do but kill time in the meeting hall before Claude showed up. She laughed as she tracked him hopping down the steps three stairs at a time. Once Ignatz had been able to come out of his shell, it was like his confidence were making up for lost time. He was so _sure_ of himself, in a way that would have seemed impossible years ago. He'd been there for her from the beginning though. When they were training as rookies. When Jeralt died. When Byleth died. Leonie looked for a distraction before those painful memories swallowed her back up like she was in Garreg Mach again. She frantically started patting down her body before feeling the handle of the knife she'd won from Piers tucked inside her left boot, and slid it up from its hidden location. Anything to forget. She spent the next few minutes tossing the knife back and forth between her hands, occasionally sticking it into the slats of a wooden armoire in the room with a well placed throw. A slight sweat had trickled down her forehead during her bout of restlessness, and she started to take off her bandanna to wipe it away. 

"Aw, but we were matching!" Leonie stopped dead in her tracks as Claude had peeked his head through the doorway playfully. 

"About time, Claude. I thought you'd forgotten about me!" She tapped her foot to the floor, doing her best to mime impatience. 

"How could I forget you, especially when I want to know how you ended up with an Almyran headband." So her borrowed clothing was Almyran as well. Did Agatha have family there? There's no way she could have been from there herself, right? 

"A friend gave it to me, I wanted to look presentable for the council meeting." He slowly approached her, undoing some of the sashes and ribbons of his political attire along the way. He neatly placed them inside the wardrobe she had been using for target practice, and if he noticed the scratches on the front it didn't bother him in the slightest. Turning back around to face her while he shook his hair out, he asked, "But it wasn't just about the looks, right?" He was always hunting for the deeper meaning, even in such trivial situations as this one. 

"What are you implying?"

"Pine needles mixed with Angelica, a common hangover cure. I could smell it on your breath when I entered the room." Fuck. Of course Claude would notice something like that.

"And here I thought the evidence was well hidden. Well, you've caught me red-handed! Hopefully I didn't make myself to be even more of a fool." 

"Nah, I think you were perfectly fine. Commendable, even. It really doesn't bother me that you were unwinding a bit before the meeting." OK, she'd had enough of his easygoing attitude.

"Well it bothers _me_ that you are completely disregarding your own safety! Lives are at stake, Claude! We won't be able to win if you are throwing yourself straight into the front of our problems!"

"I would argue differently," he quietly remarked. He wasn't losing his temper or even vexed with her, just staring longingly through one of the windows towards the moonlit sky. 

"How? You're in charge, we need you! Without you everything falls apart, and we lose what we've worked so hard to protect."

"When I was younger, I wasn't willing to take a chance if it posed any risk to myself. Always out of harm's way, learning and calculating, sure. But I looked out for number one. And you know where that got me? _Nowhere_." His voice was slowly escalating, bitterness seeping through his usually silver tongue. "Fodlan plays by different rules than I was accustomed to. My whole life has been dedicated to unraveling the truth, yet I learned nothing about the Relics, Teach died protecting me, and a damn war began right under my nose. More than anyone, I need-" He paused for a moment to flare his nostrils and inhale, before exhaling as if to calm himself down. " _Leicester_ needs this victory. I'm taking this more seriously than I ever have before, Leonie, you have to believe me on that front. Every action I take is weighed upon a scale of risk and reward, every friend I lose is a burden added to my heart, and every day that passes I wish there was an end to this vile conflict." 

Leonie was stunned into silence; the profundity of his inner motivations was being poured over her with no prior warning. 

"It can be hard to see through the smoke and mirrors of this war, but there's a bigger world beyond Fodlan. I wish others were able to have the same foresight as me, to embrace our differences and grow as humans. But that's why I want to rule, to make others see the way I do. Selfish, in a way, but I truly believe that my vision for the world is for the greater good. And right now, there is _nothing_ that will stop me from achieving this goal, not even death." How could she even respond to a monologue like that? Maybe she would have been better off dining with Ignatz and the rest, she thought, before asking Claude a question with an uncharacteristic meekness.

"Why me? Of all people, surely Hilda, or Judith, or someone else more qualified, or that you know better could have listened..." He moved away from the pillar he had been leaning on, and took her hand with his own, the coolness of his glove's silky fabric starting to ease her nerves. 

"Leonie. I trust you. You are a strong woman who has saved my life multiple times, and you are wise in ways that most scholars would be lucky to even come close to. You need to believe in yourself, just like I'm doing." She blinked for a second, looking to see if there was sincerity in his face that matched his words. Sometimes it was hard to tell with Claude, but so far everything she'd heard from him just felt _right_.

"Do you trust me?" he once again asked her, something he kept asking all of them over the years. 

"Yes."

"OK. In that case, there's something I need to show you. Let's go to my quarters for a minute." He props up the window on the left side of the room as he says this, and before long his leg is through and over the edge, his head not far behind.

"What on Fodlan are you doing?" she asked, jaw dropping when she realized he was serious. 

"Going to my quarters?" he responded as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "C'mon now, the Captain of the legendary Blade Breakers is scared of some heights? It's faster this way!"

She couldn't help but laugh at his antics, and shrugged before following him to the now open hatch. The coolness of the dark sky nipped at her uncovered hands, but she was happy to have one more layer of clothing than usual. The stone tiles of the castle were dusty, but seemed to be supporting both of their weights well. In the horizon she could see many of the communities in the Aquatic Capital still bustling with life into the night. A bonfire here, sparks flying at a blacksmith there, the distant echoes of song and dance coming from one of the more well known pubs, it all created a picturesque scene together, one that she wished Ignatz was here to share with her. It seemed Claude had paused to admire the sights as well.

"Beautiful view, right? Seeing Derdriu like this helps keep me sane. Reminds me what I'm fighting for."

"Yeah, it is. I always appreciate Derdriu's beauty, but never from up here. It's just so... grand compared to back home."

"Sauin is a place I'd love to visit sometime. There's a lot to be found in the lesser traveled parts of Leicester."

"Eh, it's nothing too special. You've probably gotten the gist of it in other villages that are similar."

Their back and forth carried on for a couple minutes, all the while the duo passed various rafters and towers that Claude seemed to know like the back of his hand. The rooftop walk was luckily not very dangerous for her weary body. Any more strenuous exercise and she might just pass out right then and there. They finally reached another circular window, this one without any cover whatsoever.

"I started coming and going across the roofs so much that I had the glass uninstalled," he grunted while swinging legs first into his room. She heard him land with a quiet bump and a muttered _ow,_ before he reached back up with his arm and helped her through the hole, giving Leonie her first look at his living space in quite a long time. It was just as cluttered and untidy as his dorm room back in their academy days, with all manner of books, parchments, potions, and figurines scattered amongst the relatively modest furnishings. His bed had the typical gilded curtains reserved for royalty, but other than that looked no different from Leonie's. 

"So what did you want to show me?" she inquired while leafing through a novel that had caught her attention, _Loog and the Maiden of Wind._ Ashe had raved about this story back in their academy days, and she wondered what he was up to now. 

"Well, there were excavations of Garreg Mach in the recent moons by our engineers, and they found some of _their_ belongings." He reached into a scabbard lying next to his desk and pulled out what looked to be a sword, but not just any sword. It was made with two different types of material, one shockingly familiar that brought back painful visions to Leonie.

"That can't be...."

"It was made with the shards of the Sword of the Creator. I think Teach would have wanted you to have it."

"Claude, I..."

Speech failed Leonie as vivid memories of their beloved professor came flashing back. A relaxing morning fishing, planning for mock battles, long hours spent in a classroom absorbing their wisdom... it all was just too much. She felt an involuntary sniff escape from her nose and, Goddess, was she _crying_?

"You can let it out, you know. It doesn't make you weak. I have many nights where it feels better to succumb than to hold back," Claude said as he lay on his bed, hands tucked behind his head in peaceful mourning for Byleth.

Everything Leonie had taught herself was to not show signs of emotion like this, to push inside instead of allowing them to come out. But now, with Byleth closer to her than ever before since they died, she hugged the hilt of the sword to her chest and let the tears wash out. Claude, for once in his life, wasn't saying anything. Perhaps he knew this was a moment she had been avoiding for over five years, but she thanked him for his silence in any case. As her sobs started to slow down he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small scroll with some hastily jotted writing on it.

"There's still lingering effects of the crest magic in the shards of the blade. It might take moons of practice before you're ready to wield it, I've outlined most of my research in these notes. Do you think you're up to the task?" Her tears had faded, and the dried streaks that ran down her cheek felt more like battle paint to the empowered warrior.

"I can do this. I _want_ to do this." 

"There's no name for it yet, I figured I would let you pick that one. Don't keep me in the dark for too long though!" She smiled at him once again, staring at the mismatching colors of the bastard sword. Tan stone of the Relic mixed with beautiful silver from Leicester's finest armorer, and she saw her face reflected back in fragments across the fuller of the blade. She saw her headband in the reflection and was immediately reminded that she had to return her borrowed belongings. Claude had proven himself to her once again, and she felt foolish for ever doubting him. 

"It's getting late, and I have to some friends to catch up with. You OK if I head out?"

"Not a problem, I think I've taken enough of your time at this point."

"Have a good night, Claude. And thank you."

"Of course, my friend. We'll have to dress up together again some other time." With an easy smile he opened the heavyset oak doors of his room, and she took her leave, new weapon firmly in her grasp.

Leonie had gone into her encounter with Claude uneasy and wavering, but now her resolve was strengthened, ready to take on any challenge in the upcoming moons. But as she turned around and returned to a lively night with Ignatz and the Blade Breakers, the steeliness of Claude's piercing gaze was lost to all but the Goddess. He watched her vanish into the dark corridor, sighing as shut the door to his chambers where another arduous night of planning and tactics awaited him. They all had a role to play in his schemes, and Leonie Pinelli was ready for hers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, Leonie was a fun character to start with due to her layered relationship with Byleth. Fun fact, her makeover before the Council meeting was loosely inspired by Echidna's outfit from Binding Blade! Each chapter will have a different POV from now till the end, so rest assured your favorite will have their moment in the spotlight. Going to be less OCs in the rest of the story too, Leonie just sort of made sense to have her own thing going on with the mercenaries, might do a one shot with some of them later on if i'm motivated, who knows! I'm not quite sure how often updates will be given my relatively busy life right now, gonna be aiming for monthly chapter releases but hopefully you stick around regardless! 
> 
> Next Up: Ashe


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